Mixing apparatus



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MIXING APPARATUS Filed oct. 21, 1936 w W M H U M H wmf w. QW: .y 4 n w L NN Nov. 15, 1938. G. H. HAlNr-:s

MIXING APPARATUS Filedvoct. 21, 193e s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTQR. Gear-9@ Val/79.5

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Nov. 15A, 1938. G; H. HAINES- MIXING` APPARATUS Filed oct. 21, 195e 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mw WW QW e EN mm r\ ww l om Nw ou im@ mw ww nu@ ,5 Aww @.M mn

Nm uw RW@ .NNI NILWW HHElIIVIrII INVENTQR Geo/ 9@ f/.Haznes N m-M/M Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MIXING APPARATUS i Application October 21,1936, Serial No. 106,795

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for mixing and, in particular, for the mixing of feed, fertilizer, and the like.

While Various mixers have been available `heretofo-re,`none of them, so far as I am aware,

has been completely successful from'the standpoint` of `theuser. Batch-type mixers are cbjectionable because of the intermittent delivery characteristic. Continuous mixers are relatively expensive and somewhat difficult to operate.

I have invented a novel mixing methodV and apparatus combining the simplicity of the batchtype mixers and the steady discharge characteristic of the continuous mixer. In accordance with the invention, I provide a mixer comprising a revoluble shell or drum divided into a number of sections or compartments. In one of these,

the material to be mixed is screened. It is then V discharged into a hatching compartment where the various components of the desired mixture are collected. They arethen discharged after some mixing, to the mixing section proper where thorough intermingling is effected. The mixed Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking fromthe left of Fig. 1;

40' Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view throughv the shell or drum, the supporting frame therefor being omitted;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional viewsl along correspondingly numbered lines V-V, VI-VI and 45 VII-VII of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a plan view of one section of the screen l mounted in the screening section of the mixer;

Fig. 9 is a sectional View through the screening' section shown in Fig. 8, taken along the line IX-IX;

Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view along the line X-X of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of along the line XI--XI of Fig'. 4. 55`` Referring now in'detail to the drawings, the

a 'detail taken mixerV comprises a shell or drum Ill revolubly mounted -on rollers Il, the drum l0 being provided withrims I2 resting von the rollers. `The rollers are carried on shafts I3 journaled in suitable bearings mounted in a frame I4. One of the shafts I3 (that shown on the right in Fig. 2) is actuated by a gear drive 'I5 which, in turn, is driven by a chain belt I6. A pulley l1, or a direct-connected motor if desired, drives the chain belt I 6.

As'best shown in Fig. 4, the shell IIJ is divided into a screening section I8, a hatching section I9, a mixing section 2D, and a packaging section ZI (which 4for convenience will hereafter be referred to .as a bagging section) by transverse partitions 22 secured to and rotating with the shell. The'left-hand end of the drum,.as viewed in Fig. 4, is closed by a wall 23 similar in all re-Y spects to the partitions 22. x The right-hand end of the drum has an inturned flange 24.

A return conveyor 25 extends inwardly of the right-hand end of the shell and carries a cover plate26 which closes the open end thereof. The conveyor 25 comprises a trough 21 which ispreferably lined with sheet rubber vulcanized thereto, a screw 28 carried on a shaft 29, and a cover 30. The outer end of the conveyor trough is supported on the frame I4. The inner end ,is supported by a stationary bearing 3| in which the shaft 29rotates, and is anchored to a secondary partition 32 secured to and rotating with the shell. The plate 26 is provided with a hopper 33 through which material may be introduced into the interiorV of the screening section I8.

Material to be mixed is delivered to the hopper 33 from 'a chute 34 extending downwardly from an elevator 35. The elevator extends upwardly from a pit 36 in the foundation on which the frame I4 rests, and receives material from a hopper 31 into which it may be dumped from the floor level, by means of a feeder 38. The

' feeder 38 is driven from the sprocket on the foot shaft of the elevator 35 by a gear and chain drive 39. The elevator 35 is'driven by a belt 40 from the driven shaft |3.`

A screen 4I is mounted within the screening section VI8 of the drum, and is composed of a plurality'of sections 42, such as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Each of these sections comprises a frame f 43 having a mesh panel 44 secured therein. The inner surface of each section 42 is provide-d with a plurality of vanes 45 disposed at an oblique angle as shown in Fig. 8, so as to advance material within the screen 4| from right to left therethrough. Conveyor flights or inter-elevators 46 are secured to the vanes 45 and serve to pick up excess material collecting in the bottom ofthe screen and discharge it downwardly across the screen sections after raising it to the top thereof.

As shown in Fig. 5, the screen sections are disposed inwardly above the shell, leaving a space therebetween for the material which passes through the screen. Vanes 41, similar to those shown at 45, are mounted in this space to move axially of the shell the material which has passed through the screen. Plungers 48 are slidably mounted in tubular guides extending radially into the shell. The plungers are adapted to engage the abutting edges 'of adjacent screen sections. Trip hammers 49 are pivoted to the frame I4. Blocks 59 having inclined facesare disposed peripherally of the shell to engage and raise the hammers 49. As the blocks pass thereunder, the latter fall through a short distance and strike plungers 48. This vibrates the screen sections and causes the dislodgment of any material adhering thereto.

The cover 3|] of the conveyor 25 terminates short of the inner end of the trough 21. Radial vanes 5l deliver to the trough 21 any lumps which have not been broken up after moving the length of the screening section. The shaft 29 of the conveyor, being secured to the partition 32, rotates therewith, and moves the lumps delivered to the trough in the direction indicated v.by the arrow. A pulverizer (see Figs. 4 and 11) is mounted at the outer end of the trough 21 and comprises a set of radial breaker arms 52 mounted directly on the same shaft as the p-ulley l1, and a chute 53 discharging into the lower portion of the elevator 35. The breaker arms 52, being driven at relatively high speedgserve to breaklup the lumps discharged from the outer end of the trough 21, and the .pulverized vmaterial is then re-delivered to the screening section by the elevator.

Radial vanes 54` si-milar to those shown at 5| collect the material which passes through the screen, and is moved axiallyof the drum by the kvanes 41 and discharge it through a central opening in the partition 22to the batching section I9.v Parallel plates 55 extend into the mixer from the lefthand end and have inclined plates 56.disposed therebetween to form chutes for conveying material from one section to the next. The outer ends of the plates 55 are supported on the frame I4, while the inner ends are supportedon a bearing51 on the inner end of the shaft 29. The chutes 56 between the sections I9 and. 29 and 2B and 2|, as well as a similar chute. 58 which discharges material from the sectionZI to a discharge spout 59, are provided with covers 60 which may be manually operated from the left-hand end of the drum by rods 6|. So long as it is desired to retain a given batch ofmaterial in a particular section, the cover 69 -for the chute 55 leading to the next section is kept closed. The material in the particular chamber is then subjected to. continued agitation. When the cover 50 is withdrawn, vanes 62 dump the material onto the associated chute 56 which conveys it to the next section.

No coveris .neededfor the chutev56 leading from the screening section I8 to the batching section I9, because it is desirable that the material to be mixed be delivered to the hatching section as soon as it has passed through the screeningsection. The batching section I9 is provided withvanes |53 which cause the material to move from rightv to left therethrough. These vanes also produce some mixing, but the mixing section 29 is relied on principally for this purpose. It has radial mixing vanes 64 which are highly effective for this purpose, in addition to the conveying vanes S3. The bagging section 2| is similar to the batching section I9.

At the discharge end of the mixer, bag holders 55 are supported below the discharge spouts 59 from scale beams 56. The holders have individual gates, and a gate 61 in the hoper 58 permits either of the spouts 59 to be selected. Bags are attached to the holder 65, as indicated at 58, and are lled to a predetermined weight.

Each of the sections I9, 29 and 2| has a pair of windows 59 and 1li disposed therein, as shown in Figs. l, 6 and '7. Light sources1l are disposed in the paths of the windows so that light rays from the sources 1I which would pass through the windows,` when the latter are in line therewith, if the sections were empty, will be obscured by material in each section until it is discharged into the next section. When all the material in a given section has been discharged to the nextv section, the light path through the former will be unobstructed. Mirrors 12 properly disposed willv reflect the transmitted light to the operator at the left-hand end of the mixer indicating the empty condition of that section. The operator will then proceed to operate his gate controls to refill the section.

As has probably already been sufficiently indicated, the material to be mixed is dumped into the hopper 31 and delivered to the screening section I8 by the elevator 35 through chute 34. The fines passing through the screen are delivered to the hatching section i9 by the vanes 54 and the cooperating chute 56; Lumps are delivered to the return conveyor 25 by the vanes 5|. The lumps are rthen pulverized by the breaker arm 52, and the pulverized material returned to the elevator.

When all the components of a batch have been collected in-the chamber I9, the operator shifts the cover 65 cooperating with the chute 56 'leading from the section i9 to the section 2B, and the batch is then discharged into the latter section. The cover 6l! is then replaced and another batch is collected in the section. The mixing of the rst batch proceeds in the section 20 and, when thoroughly mixed, the cover BIJ over the chute leading to the bagging section`2| is moved, and the material discharged into the latter. The second batch is then transferred to the mixing section, and the collection of a third batch in section I9 is started. The rst batch, after being mixed in the section 2B, is delivered into containers from the section 2|.

The apparatus thus performs a semi-continuous batching method. While each batch-of material is mixed individually, the progression of the batches is such that the components of the mix may be fed in almost continuously, and the resulting mixture may ber packaged in the same way.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the apparatus and method of my invention are characterized by numerous advantages.

The apparatus is relatively simple in construction.v

and easy to operate so that it may be operated by relatively unskilled labor. The device is highly eiective and insures a thorough screening of all material, as well as a perfect intermingling of the components of the mixture.. Since the method performed is semi-continuous, eicient operation and a large production are obtained. The performance of the several steps in Vdiierent sec:

tions insures the segregation of the batch being mixed from the batch previously mixed, but not discharged, as well as from the materials being collected prior to mixing. The return conveyor for the lumps, together with the pulverizer, further contributes to thorough mixing, since without these features, the lumps would Vbe carried over into the mix, in the form of masses of entirely unmixed material. The rubber lining of the return conveyor greatly increases its life and avoids accumulation of material which might adhere to a Wood or steel surface.

Although I have illustrated and described herein but one preferred form of invention, it Will be understood that changes in the construction disclosed may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

lf claim:

1. In a mixer, a revolving drum, partitions dividing it into a plurality of sections including a screening section at one end, a lump conveyor extending into the screening section, a chute frame extending into the drum from the other end, said conveyor and frame having inner bearings supported on the partition between the screening section and the adjacent section.

2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by said conveyor including ay revoluble member secured to and rotating with said drum.

3. In a mixer comprising a rotary shell or drum divided into compartments, a screenA extending around the inside of the first or receivingcompartment, means for delivering the material to be mixed to the space Within said screen, means for moving materials passing said screen to a secondor batohing compartment, means including chutes having manually operable gates for moving material from the batching compartment to a third or mixing compartment, and thence to a fourth or packaging compartment, and a discharge spout extending from the packaging compartment for filling containers with mixed material.

4. In a mixer, a revolving drum, partitions dividing it into a plurality of sections including a screening section at one end, a lump conveyor extending into the screening section, and a chute frame extending into the drum from the other end, having chutes thereon for discharging material from each section to the next.

5. A mixer comprising a shell mounted for rotation, partitions dividing the shell into sections,

`means in said sections for moving material axially thereof, openings in said partitions, chutes for discharging material from one section to another, means for supporting said chutes in fixed position including a pair of plates extending through said sections, and manually operable gates for closing said chutes. y

6. A mixer comprising a shell mounted for rotation, partitions dividing the shell into sections, means in said sections for moving material axially thereof stationary chute'supporting members extending axially into said shell from one end thereof, the inner ends of said members being supported on a bearing carried on the rotating shell and chutes for feeding material from one section to the next, manually operable gates for closing said chutes, and means in each section for deliver-4 ing to one `of said chutes the material which has collected in that section.

7. In a-rotary mixer, the combination with a batching section for receiving measured amounts of the components of a mixture, a mixing lsection for mixing a batch of material while another is being collected in the hatching section, and a packaging section for receiving a mixed batch from th'e mixing section, of fixed supports extending into the mixer from one end thereof, chutes carried on said supportsfor discharging material from one section to another, a cover for each chute and operating means for said covers extending along said supports to the exterior of the shell.

8. A mixer comprising a shell mounted for rotation, partitions dividing the shell into sections, means in said sections for moving material axially thereof, openings in said partitions, chutes extending through said openings for discharging material from onel section to another, means extending axially into the shell from one end thereof for supporting said chutes in a iixed position, and manually operable gates for closing said chutes.

9. A mixer comprising a shell mounted for rotation,-partitions dividing the shell into sections, means in said sections for moving material axially thereof, openings inA said partitions, chutes for discharging material from one section to another, means extending through said sections for supporting said chutes in xed position, `a bearing in the shell supporting said means interiorly of the shell, and manually operable gates for closing said chutes.

GEORGE I-I. HAINES. 

